Effective user authentication is necessary for myriad devices and processes that contain or require confidential or user-specific information. Devices, such as smartphones, tablet computers, internet-of-things-enabled devices, and automotive technology, can include confidential or user-specific information. For example, a smartphone, tablet computer or other device may include a user's banking information or internet-browsing habits. Further, a smartphone, tablet computer or other device may be used to execute payment of goods or services, and may include sensitive information, such as credit-card data (e.g., credit card numbers or passwords).
Effective user authentication is often difficult to achieve. In some cases, user authentication methods can return false positives. For example, in some instances, a two-dimensional image of an authorized user of a device can be employed to spoof facial recognition protocols. Multiple independent user verification methods can be implemented to ensure accurate user identification. However, hardware used to implement the multiple independent user verification methods can be subject to misalignment and hacking in some instances, and further can exhibit a large footprint.